Reserve-supply system for tanks



J. G. OBRIEN AND F. A. PICARD. RESERVE SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR TANKS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 2. 921.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

6 Q%/%/ mu/ INVENTORS MGM ATTORNEY v UNITE RESERVE-SUPBLYZ SYSTEM: {Fo f To all 10710222 it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN G ORGE OBRIEN and F BANK A. PIoARD, citizens of the United States, both residing at Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw andState of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reserve-Supply Systems for Tanks; and we do h ereby'declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. This invention relates to fuel reserve supply systems for tanks such as are used with internal combustion engines and the like.

Our invention is particularly adapted to that class of fuel reserve [supply systems havingmeans for checking the flo'wfof liquid from the tank whenthe content ofthe tank has been reduced to an amount corresponding to the desired reserved The user is thereby warned that the tank must soon be refilled. i

. g The object of, our improvementis to ,pro-

videa'one-piece handle which will operate not only to open and close'the outlet valve of the tank, but will also engage the filling plug of the tank when theoutlet val.ve, is opened, thereby preventing the filling plug from being removed and consequently preventing the tank from being refilled until the handle member has been disengaged from the filling plug. When so disengaged, the handle automatically operates the outlet valve to close it, thereby insuring another reserve supply when thetank is refilled.

The broad aspects of our present improvement as above outlined are described and claimed in our Patent No. 1,409,310, granted March 14, 1922, .to whiclrreference may be had. y

The present invention relates more particularly to a' valve-actuating handle that operates by being moved in i. a horizontal plane, the handle being so constructed that it, in combination with a cylindrical curved top tank, will automatically lift the valve when the handle is moved horizontally to engage the filling cap and will permit the' valve to close when the handle is moved crosswise the tank. 7

A further object of our present improvement is to provide an improved construction of valve employing a vertically tubular valve stem, the valve case being so arranged that it can be readily screwed into the tank arrangement enabling thevalve to be outlet" of 'the "usual sediment iesrarss raisn'r.. wim? JOHN GEORGE OBRIEN AND FRANK A. rroann, or si w m m m 1 Specification of Letters Patent pgttented Aug 15,#1922 l I Application filed llfoveinber 2, 1921 I 1 cep-taclei the Case. QJ B g;providedwith athreaded""sock'et to' receive the threaded a i Y I end of the sedimentreceptacle, oranequivalent pipe line connection is used on tank's not equipped'w'ith a'fsediment receptaclflthis 1 applied to an existing fuel ta'nk without the necess ty of, PI'OVldlIlg, separate-'{tank outlet for the sediment receptacle.

quickly I With these and certain other :objectsin view, WlllCh appear later in 'the spcc-ification, ouriiiv'e'ntio'n comprises the devices described and claimed and the equivalents thereof. v

ilnthe'drawings, Fig. l longitudinal sectionflthrough' one end i of a cylindricalfiuel "j' tank, showing our device inplaceQT F 1g. is an enlarged transverse section, broken'awayin part, the section takenhon the line 2-52 oflFig. 1, the handle being y y positioned atrightl shown in FigLlL, V

'jFig. is a longitudinal" sectionv of the device" consists in the tank I having the usual filling cap and it may have asediment receptacle 3, or itsequivalent, communicating with the outlet pipe l. i 5

angles to its position. as f valve casing, the valvestem broken 'awayin part. a

fhS lS. clearly shown in the drawings, the" i In applying our imp IIIen't to -a fuel tank of this kind, we first removethe 'sedi-; ment receptacle 3 and insert in its place the threaded valve casing 5, whichipr ojeictsup Thethreaded into the tank from the bottom.

valve casing-5 is providedwith a, socket 6- wat it slower end,and the sediment receptacle 3, or other outlet connecting. device, "is 'screwed'anto this socket, thereby connecting the outletflpi'pe 4 with the interior 'Ofthe l tank through the"valveflcasing .5.

Connected to the upper end of the tubular valve stem 7 is I a vertically. movable rod", or

bar 8. The upper end of this rod projects through anopening'9, which may be formed in the top of the tank by means of a punch or any similar tool.

The upper end of rod 8 is provided with a pin or other suitable projection 10, and upon the rod and under the pin 10 is -received a bar 11, preferably' bowed upwardly as shown in Fig. 2. Oneend of this bar,

as 12, is adapted to take against the top 13 of the tank when the bar is lengthwise the tank, as shown in Fig. 1 and the other f I end 14: of the bar is adapted to engage and rest upon-the filling cap 2.v The upwardly bowed intermediate part of bar 11 thus holds the vertically movable rod 8 in its lifted position, holding the valve 15 open and permittingthe tank to drain through an opening 16 formed in the side of the valve casing 5 and communicating with "outlet pipe 4L-by way of the annular space around valve When b r 11 is turned to a osition crosswise the tank andat right angles to the position shown in Fig. 1, that is, to the position'shown in Fig. '2, thebo'we'd bar 11 permits the vertically movable rod 8 to drop and "close the valve 15. Rod 8 is preferabl" forced "downwardly by means of a helica' spring 17, which also compensates for expansion or distortion of the tank and prevents rattling. a p r For convenience in assembling, we prefer in practice to make the rod 8 sufficiently long so that its upperfie'nd 19 can e'as'ily loe pushedthrough the opening 9, projecting upwardly above the-tank "top.

Alfter the parts are assembled, the upper end 19, which has preferably been notched as at 18, may be broken o 'fh ja's indicated by the dotted lines in vFig. 1. When the valve 15 is closed, liquid is prevented from escaping "through the opening 16, but 'Inayescape through the tubular valve stem 7, entering the valve through an opening 20 at a height corresponding to the depth of liqi'i'id in the tank when the reserve supply is reached, and escaping through the lower end 210i the valve stem. I

" A. compressible spring 1'?" may be employed in addition --to spring 17, spring 1'7 surrounding the tubular stem 7 and retained in the case '5 by means of'a plug '17,

the lower end "of'fthe 'sipringbearing upon the upper lacefof valve '15 to normally hold the valve closed.

By the means above described, e have PTOClIlCQCl a'simple, eilicient and inexpensive device for providing a reserve fuel supply system, the device "so arranged that by the fmo'vin'g of a single one-piecehandle so "that it rests upon the' filling'cap, the outlet valve will be raised to drainthe tank, and by movingthe handle away from the filling cap,the handle, in combination with "the'cu'rve'd top tions of an ordinary vertical lift of the tank, acts as a cam to permit the valve to close and thereby prevent draining the tank to a point lower than the level corresponding to the "desired reserve fuel supply.

We have also provided a simple and inexpensive valve construction that is not likely to get out of order andthat combines the functions of a stand-pipe for purpose of storing the reserve supply with the func- Valve.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a-tank having an outlet and a filling cap, a vertically movable hollow valve controlling said outlet, the casing of said valve formed with a threaded socket, a tubular valve stem, a compressible spring Within said casing and surrounding said tubular stem, a rod connected to the upper end of said tubular stem and projec'ting through the top of said tank, a onepiece bowed handle secured to the end 0 2E said rod, one end of said handle adapted to engage the top or said tank, the other end of said handle removably engaging said filling cap, whereby to open said valve. 2. In combination with a tank havingan outlet and a filling cap,'a vertically movable hollow valve controlling said outlet, a valve stem, a compressible spring within said casing and surrounding said stem, a rod .pivota'lly secured to said stem, the upper end of said rod projecting through the, top of said tank, a compressionsprlngon said rod,

a one-piece bowed handle secured to the end of said ro'd, one end of said handle adapted to engage the top of said "tank, the "other I end removably engaging said 'filling'cap. I

3. In combination with a tank having an of said tank, a compression springo'n said rod, a handle secured to the endol? said rod, said handle adapted to 'oper'atively' engage the top of said tank, the'other end-removabl'y engaging said filling cap.

JOHN GEORGE OBRIEN. FRANK A. PICARD. 

